Duck For Cover

Duck for Cover is an incorporated association for Australian performers.

The group, run by volunteers, exists to make available to its members reasonably priced public liability insurance cover.

Duck for Cover Entertainers Group Inc
Incorporated in Victoria (A0037200A) - ABN: 56 656 723 863

President: Tim Hurley — Treasurer: Red Talbett

2008/2009 DUCK FOR COVER PUBLIC LIABILITY POLICY

If you are a current member, the information regarding the new policy, which includes the application form for the 2008/9 policy, has been sent out through Australia Post to the address we have on file for you. Please make sure your address is current. If you don't have the material by the beginning of August, please contact the office.

If you wish to print out the forms and send them in, you can also download the forms for the new policy here.

PLEASE NOTE:
FIREFOX browser is currently not working with the online application.

Click here to Apply

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR DUCK MEMBERS TO READ

• Important Information for Duck for Cover members
• 2008-2009 Duck for Cover Public Liability Policy Schedule
• 2008-2009 Personal Accident Product Disclosure Statement
• 2008-2009 Personal Accident Policy Schedule
• Aon Risk Services Financial Services Guide

2007/2008 DUCK FOR COVER PUBLIC LIABILITY POLICY

Applications for the 2007/8 policy are no longer possible.

2007 -2008 PERSONAL ACCIDENT POLICY SCHEDULE
PERSONAL ACCIDENT PRODUCT DISCLOSURE STATEMENT
AON RISK SERVICES FINANCIAL SERVICES GUIDE

Duck for Cover is not an Australian Financial Services (AFS) licensee or a related body corporate of an AFS licensee or a representative of an AFS licensee.

We do not act on behalf of, nor receive any commissions or payments from, any broker, insurer or any financial service provider.

The annual membership administration fees and a once-only (if you remain a financial member) joining fee referred to elsewhere in this web site are the only income Duck for Cover receives. We use membership fees to administer the association under the rules and laws of the Associations Act in Victoria where we are registered.

We are a non-profit organisation.

All information relating to the requirements of our broker, Aon and the underwriting agency from whom we have obtained this year's policy, SLE are theirs and we merely report it to you to save your time if you are considering becoming a member.

For a digest of the rules set by SLE (our insurer), read on or, to go straight to the Information and Application Page, click here

Highlights from the insurer's rules
Here are some of SLE's conditions for this year's cover.

Click to see more details.

Cover expires at 4pm 12th August whenever you join
Income limit $100,000 gross
We can't cover events

• Venue hire and venue operation are not covered except for festivals
• Workshops and teaching are not covered
• Individuals can be covered as part of a band or group of performers
• $20 million cover
• Excess $1,000
• Aerialists
• No jumping castles, carousels, rides etc
• No hypnotists
• Asbestos-related claims excluded.
• Great prices

To apply for membership, click here
This will take you to a new page with detailed information and
on-line credit card application or downloadable application forms.

To go to the Information Page, click here

° $20 million cover
$20,000,000 cover this year.

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° Excess
In the case of a claim, the member will pay the first $1,000

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° $100,000 gross maximum Income
Our insurer has agreed to cover performers earning up to $100,000 gross per annum from their performance activities.'Gross' means your income from performance before expenses and tax.

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° Workshops/Teaching
The policy specifically excludes all claims arising from workshop/teaching activities unless they are incidental to the member's performance of their declared act.

Example: a juggler would be covered if she brought a few kids up at the end of a show to show them how to throw the balls, but would not be covered if she was paid to teach juggling at a circus workshop or in a school.

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° Venue Hire
The policy specifically excludes all claims arising from a member hiring a venue to perform in.

This makes the member a promotor and therefore liable to be sued for any incident involving the audience, even if the injury wasn't directly related to the member's performance.

An important exception to this rule is "where the member is required to sign a venue hire agreement in order to perform as part of a festival."

See also

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° Asbestos
The policy specifically excludes all claims related to asbestos

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° No Hypnotists
The insurer will not cover hypnotism.

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° Renewal on 12th August
All members' cover will end at 4.00 pm, 12th August each year regardless of when you joined. There will be no reduction in the fees as August gets closer.

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Prices
$20m cover for the year 12th August 2008 - 12th August 2009

Your fee will be that for the highest category that any of your performance aspects comes into

Aerialist are covered if their rigging is performed by a qualified individual or company with Public Liability Insurance.

Performers who are qualified in rigging procedures may rig their own equipment. **Claims that arise from other performers using equipment rigged by a Duck for Cover member will not be covered by this policy (The DFC Member would need a separate Public Liability policy covering their rigging activities)

Juggling

Office Information

Duck personnel will usually be available on the telephone at 03 9439 5991
between 12 noon and 4.00 pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Please read the information on these pages carefully before ringing us.
We are a no-frills association of performers.

If you want advice or anything else to do with public liability insurance, you should contact an insurance professional who is licensed to give you the advice and services you need, we are not able to give you advice regarding the policy.

email us by clicking here.

Cover for Groups
If ALL the members of a group that performs together have joined Duck for Cover as individual members. That is, they are all fully paid individual members of Duck for Cover, they can then apply for group registration at no extra charge. Group registration which will cover them and non-performing employees and volunteers.

Cover for Venues.
If you hire a venue for performance, our insurer considers you a promoter and won't cover you except where you are required to sign a venue hire agreement to perform in a festival.

A tale from the Insurance Industry
                 From James Finucane of Aon Risk Services

A magician was performing at a club. Part of his act was to juggle apples which he bit and spat while he was juggling. Later one of the audience got up from her chair and slipped on a piece of the apple that was missed during clean up after the performance. She is now suing the club and the performer. The claim made by the injured lady is $250,000. The incident occurred in 1999 but the claim was not made against the insured until late 2002. The claim is pending but if the insurer decided to defend the claim all the way to judgement - Defense costs are likely to exceed $50,000 PLUS the courts in the past have usually found in favour of the injured third party.

If the performer did not have insurance - the injured lady's solicitors would "chase the money" and concentrate on suing the club.

Since councils and venues have been hit very hard with insurance premiums and have been forced to take very high excesses, negligence by a performer at their venue could potentially cost them a lot of money. This is why you will find an increase over the next few years in the number of venues and councils requiring proof that you carry Public Liability insurance before allowing you to perform.